# How invoices work

> Send professional invoices and get paid online by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer. How invoicing works in CoreHue for photographers.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/invoices/how-invoices-work/

An invoice tells your client what they're paying for, how much, and by when, with a button to pay right there. In CoreHue you can send as many invoices as you like on every plan, take card payments through Stripe, and offer bank transfer or cash with instructions you write yourself.

## Where invoices live

Open **Payments** in the sidebar. You'll find:

- **Invoices**: every invoice you've created, with what's outstanding and overdue. See [Your invoices list](/docs/invoices/the-invoices-list).
- **Payments**: every payment received, plus payments clients say they've made that you haven't confirmed yet. See [Your payments list](/docs/payments/the-payments-list).
- **Settings**: five tabs, **General**, **Invoice defaults**, **Display**, **Tax rates** and **Payment methods**.

The things you charge for, like "Wedding coverage, 8 hours", are saved under **Templates → Items** so you don't retype them. See [Saving reusable items](/docs/payments/saved-items).

## Set up once, then invoice in minutes

1. **Add your business details** so they appear on every invoice. See [Business details and logo](/docs/account/business-details-and-logo).
2. **Choose how clients can pay.** Connect Stripe for cards, add a manual method like bank transfer, or both. See [Accepting card payments with Stripe](/docs/payments/accepting-card-payments) and [Bank transfer, cash and other manual payments](/docs/payments/manual-payment-methods).
3. **Create your first invoice.** CoreHue asks for your default currency and your numbering the first time. Both lock once saved, so take a minute over them. See [Invoice defaults, terms and numbering](/docs/invoices/invoice-defaults-and-numbering).
4. **Add tax rates** if you charge tax. See [Setting up tax rates](/docs/invoices/tax-rates).
5. **Send it.** See [Sending an invoice](/docs/invoices/sending-an-invoice).

Stripe checks your business before card payments switch on, and that can take a few days. Start early.

## Where invoices come from

You don't always have to create them by hand:

- **From scratch**, with **New invoice** on the invoices list or the plus beside **Invoices** in the sidebar.
- **From a contact, booking or inquiry**, so the details carry across and the invoice stays linked to the job.
- **When a client books a service that takes payment**, CoreHue creates the booking's invoice for you.
- **When you add a booking yourself** with **Collect payment** on. See [Adding a booking yourself](/docs/managing-bookings/creating-a-booking).
- **From a proposal** with payment. Its invoice is created the moment your client accepts.

Booking and proposal invoices work like any other, with a few extra rules. See [Invoices for bookings and proposals](/docs/invoices/invoices-for-bookings-and-proposals).

## How clients pay

Your client opens the invoice from the email or a link you share. No account, no password.

- **Card or digital wallet** through Stripe. Apple Pay and Google Pay appear where your client's device supports them. The payment is recorded and the invoice updates by itself.
- **Manual methods** such as bank transfer. Your client follows your instructions, then taps **I've made this payment**. You confirm it, and that's when the payment is recorded. See [Reviewing payment proof](/docs/payments/reviewing-payment-proof).

CoreHue doesn't charge a platform fee on your client payments. You only pay Stripe's processing fees. See [How getting paid works](/docs/payments/how-getting-paid-works).

## A typical invoice, start to finish

1. Create the invoice and add your items.
2. Send it by email or share the link.
3. Your client pays by card, or pays by transfer and tells you.
4. CoreHue records the payment and updates the invoice to **Partially paid** or **Paid**.
5. If the due date slips, [automatic reminders](/docs/invoices/invoice-reminders) chase it for you on Plus and Pro.

Split bigger jobs into a deposit and a balance with a [payment schedule](/docs/invoices/payment-schedules).

## What your client sees

A clean invoice page with your logo and business details, the items, any tax and discount, the total and the amount due now, plus clear payment buttons. If you've set up a payment schedule they see each payment, which one is next, and a button for just that amount. [Paying your invoice](/docs/for-clients/paying-an-invoice) walks them through it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a limit on how many invoices I can send?

No. CoreHue invoices and online payments are unlimited on every plan: Free, Plus and Pro.

### Can I invoice in more than one currency?

Yes, multi-currency invoicing is included on the Pro plan. On Free and Plus, every invoice uses your default currency. See [Invoicing in more than one currency](/docs/invoices/multiple-currencies).

### Can my client pay without a card?

Yes. Add a manual payment method like bank transfer or cash under **Payments → Settings → Payment methods**, and your client can pay that way and tell you they've paid. One invoice can offer both card payment through Stripe and manual methods.